Solar energy heat collector

ABSTRACT

A solar energy heat collector includes two water transport ducts, a plurality of branch water ducts and heat collection plates. The water transport ducts are located on two sides of the heat collector having two opposing sides with a plurality of fastening holes formed thereon to be coupled with two ends of the branch water ducts by soldering. Each of the heat collection plates has an upper side with a downward concaved holding portion formed thereon and fastening portions on two sides. One fastening portion on one side is bent upwards and another on another side is bent downwards. The holding portion is bonded to a lower side of the branch water duct, and the connection juncture of the branch water duct and the heat collection plate is fastened by soldering. The fastening portions are bonded and overlapped in series in an up and down manner and fastened by soldering.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a solar energy heat collector andparticularly to an improved solar energy heat collector that has bentheat collection plates connecting in series to form a firmer and moredurable structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional heat collectors now on the market mostly heat watersent to the heat collectors through heat collection plates. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional heat collector 1 includes two watertransport ducts 11 and 12, a plurality of branch water ducts 13 and aplurality of heat collection plates 14 and 14 a. The water transportducts 11 and 12 are located on two sides of the heat collector 1. Onewater transport duct 11 has a plurality of fastening holes 110 on oneside facing the other water transport duct 12. The other water transportduct 12 also is constructed likewise. The branch water ducts 13 have twoends soldering to the fastening holes 110 of the water transport ducts11 and 12. The heat collection plates 14 and 14 a have respectively aholding portion 140 on an upper surface to be bonded to the lower sideof each branch water duct 13. The heat collection plates 14 and 14 a,and the branch water ducts 13 are coupled by soldering. The heatcollection plate 14 is connected to the neighboring heat collectionplate 14 a in series.

The connecting portion of the heat collection plates 14 and 14 a mostlydoes not have a firm fastening structure. Hence when the connectingportions of the branch water ducts 13 and the heat collection plates 14and 14 a are damaged or form cracks due to heat expansion or coldcontraction or other external factors, the heat collection plates 14 and14 a cannot be maintained at desired fixed locations. This is the maincause of the solar energy heat collector 1 being not able to achieve theoptimum effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide animproved solar energy heat collector that has a firmer structure andgreater durability.

To achieve the foregoing object, the solar energy heat collector of theinvention includes two water transport ducts, a plurality of branchwater ducts and a plurality of heat collection plates. The watertransport ducts are located on two sides of the heat collector andbridged by the branch water ducts. Each of the heat collection plateshas a holding portion and fastening portions to bond to the lower sideof the branch water ducts. The holding portion is formed on an uppersurface of the heat collection plate by concaving downwards. Thefastening portions are located on two sides of the holding portion. Thefastening portion on one side is formed by bending the heat collectionplate upwards, while the fastening portion on the other side is formedby bending the heat collection plate downwards to be bonded to theupward bending fastening portion of a neighboring heat collector inseries by soldering. Thus the branch water ducts and the heat collectionplates can be fastened together firmly.

The solar energy heat collector of the invention set forth above canachieve the following effects;

1. Firm structure: As the upper surface of the heat collection plate hasa holding portion concaved downwards, and the fastening portions on twosides of the holding portion are bent respectively upwards anddownwards, after the heat collection plate has bonded to the lower sideof the branch water duct, two neighboring heat collection plates can becoupled together by bonding the fastening portions in a up and downoverlapping manner, and soldering fastening can be applied to two sidesof the overlapping portion. Moreover, the juncture of the heatcollection plate and the branch water duct may also be soldered to makethe structure firmer.

2. Enhanced durability: With the upper surface of the heat collectionplate having a holding portion concaved downwards, and the fasteningportions on two sides of the holding portion bending respectivelyupwards and downwards, after the heat collection plate has bonded to thelower side of the branch water duct, two neighboring heat collectionplates can be coupled together by bonding the fastening portions in a upand down overlapping manner, and soldering can be applied on thejuncture of the branch water duct and the heat collection plate, and onbonding portion of the fastening portions to enhance durability.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages ofthe invention will be more readily apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional heat collector.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the branch water ducts and heat collectionplates of a conventional heat collector.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the branch water ducts and heat collectionplates of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4, the solar energy heat collector 2according to the invention includes at least two water transport ducts21 and 22, a plurality of branch water ducts 23 and a plurality of heatcollection plates 24 and 24 a. The water transport ducts 21 and 22 arelocated on two sides the solar energy heat collector 2 for water intakeand discharge. The branch water ducts 23 bridge the two water transportducts 21 and 22 to receive water from the water intake duct 21 that isheated by solar energy to a higher temperature, then is sent through thewater discharge duct 22 on other side to a water tank 20 at a upper sideof the solar energy heat collector 2 to be delivered to users.

The water transport ducts 21 and 22 are located on two sides of the heatcollector 2. The water intake duct 21 has a plurality of fastening holes210 on one side facing the water discharge duct 22 that are coupled withtwo ends of the branch water ducts 23 which are fastened to the watertransport ducts 21 and 22 by soldering so that water from the watertransport duct 21 can be distributed to the branch water ducts 23.

The two ends of the branch water ducts 23 have undulant portions 230 tobe coupled with the fastening holes 210 for fastening the branch waterducts 23 to the water transport ducts 21 and 22 at the couplingjunctures by soldering. The undulant portions 230 can prevent the branchwater ducts 23 from breaking away from the water transport ducts 21 and22 caused by heat expansion and cold retraction. Fastened by solderingalso can reduce on site installation time.

The heat collection plates 24 and 24 a are a thin plate, and have adownward concave holding portion 240 to be bonded to a lower side of thebranch water ducts 23. Each of the heat collection plates 24 and 24 afurther has fastening portions 241 and 242 on two sides of the holdingportion 240 bending respectively upwards and downwards in a parallelmanner. The holding portion 240 is bonded to the lower side of thebranch water duct 23. The fastening portions 241 and 242 of one heatcollection plate 24 can be coupled with the corresponding fasteningportions of the neighboring heat collection plate 24 a to form a seriesconnection in a up and down overlapping manner. The bonding juncture ofthe branch water ducts 23 and the heat collection plates 24 and 24 a,and the coupling portion of the fastening portions 241 and 242 of theheat collection plates 24 and 24 a are fastened by soldering. Fasteningof the heat collection plates 24 and 24 a also may be done throughfastening elements such as screws, rivets or the like.

As the water transport ducts 21 and 22 and the two ends of the branchwater ducts 23 are fastened by soldering, and the two ends of the branchwater ducts 23 have the undulant portions 230, hence heat extension andcold retraction of the branch water ducts 23 caused by sunshine and raincooling can be alleviated. As a result, the firmness of the branch waterducts 23 and water transport ducts 21 and 22 is enhanced.

Moreover, as the upper surface of the heat collection plates 24 and 24 ahas the downward holding portion 240 to be bonded to the lower side ofthe branch water ducts 23, and bending upward and downward fasteningportions 241 and 242 on two sides in a parallel manner, the heatcollection plates 24 and 24 a can absorb solar energy more effectivelyto heat the water in the branch water ducts 23. With the heat collectionplates 24 and 24 a fastened to the branch water ducts 23 by soldering,the firmness of the solar energy heat collector 2 also increases.

In addition, the fastening portions 241 and 242 of the heat collectionplates 24 and 24 a are formed by bending two sides of the holdingportion 240, and are coupled in series with the correspondingcounterparts of the neighboring heat collection plates by soldering.With the lower side of the branch water ducts 23 bonding to heatcollection plates, coupling of the heat collection plates 24 and 24 aand the branch water ducts 23 is much stronger.

1. A solar energy heat collector, comprising at least: two watertransport ducts which are located on two sides of the solar energy heatcollector and have two opposing sides each has a plurality of fasteningholes formed thereon; a plurality of branch water ducts each having twoends with undulant portions formed thereon to be coupled with thefastening holes of the two water transport ducts and fastened bysoldering; and a plurality of heat collection plates each having anupper side bending downwards to form a holding portion corresponding toand fastened to a lower side of the branch water duct by soldering, theholding portion having one side bending upwards in a parallel manner andanother side bending downwards in a parallel manner to form to fasteningportions, the fastening portions of neighboring heat collection platesbeing bonded together in series.
 2. The solar energy heat collector ofclaim 1, wherein the series bonding of the fastening portions of theneighboring heat collection plates is done by soldering.
 3. The solarenergy heat collector of claim 1, wherein the series bonding of thefastening portions of the neighboring heat collection plates is donethrough fastening elements.
 4. The solar energy heat collector of claim3, wherein the fastening elements are screws or rivets.